Rotate plants in your vegetable garden

Rotate the crops in your vegetable garden to control pest problems. This is the easiest way to practice organic, integrated pest management gardening.

Many insects and diseases attack vegetables within the same plant family. By planting vegetables from a different family in a problem area, you minimize the chances for a repeat infection. The basic families include the cabbage family (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, radishes and turnips); cucumber family (gourds, melons, squashes and cucumbers); nightshade family (eggplant, potatoes, tomatoes and peppers); goosefoot family (spinach and beets); onion family (leeks, garlic and onions); legume family (all peas and beans), and the carrot, celery and parsnip group.

• Use a mulching mower that leaves grass clippings on the lawn. This means less work for you and it recycles those extra nutrients back into your lawn. Regardless of which mower you choose, mow more frequently during spring due to rapid grass growth.

Mulching mowers, in particular, do not work well in tall, wet grass. Rake out any wet clumps of grass that remain on the lawn.

Keep the blades on your mower sharpened for a better cut. A good general rule to follow is to sharpen them after every eight hours of use.

Mow grass at 2½ to 3 inches in height, and frequently enough so that not more than one-third of the total height is cut each time. Most lawns are cut too short. Maintaining lawns at a taller height promotes a strong root system and helps choke out weeds. In hot weather, short lawns can turn brown more quickly and weeds are more likely to move in.

• Gradually move houseplants outside to protected areas when temperatures begin staying above 40 degrees. Prevent any damage to the plants by gradually acclimating them to the sun and outdoor growing conditions. Start by putting them in a shaded location outside on warmer days and bring them inside when nights are predicted to be cold.

Increase the time outside and exposure to sun over a period of 10 days or so. Large houseplants in plastic pots should be slipped into larger, heavier pots to prevent them from falling over in the wind.

• Tim Johnson is director of horticulture at Chicago Botanic Garden, chicagobotanic.org.